out-of-synch spring after a non-winter: a recap

I KEPT PANICKING to hurry up and get my chores done, because the scenery outside looked like late April, or at least it did before one Monday night’s 22ish-degree siege, which took lots of prisoners. Before it got any farther out of control here—or erased, if that’s what nature had in mind instead—I took a look in late March 2012 at what had bloomed so far in the earliest spring I’d ever seen (following the winter I never saw at all).

Quick note: The green text links will take you to full profiles of most of the plants mentioned, if any of them sound like something you’d like to add to your extra-early garden, whatever month it happens to happen in from year to year.

january beginnings

Helleborus foetidus, above, the stinking hellebore, has been at it that long, too—and shows no signs of stopping. Apparently no winter is what this plant, which sows itself around the garden and is far less robust most years in my Zone 5B, prefers.

Also extra-early, starting just as January ended: Salix chaenomeloides, the giant pussy willow, whose overblown catkins finally fell to the ground this week after a long, extra-early and showy run.

february happenings

Helleborus niger, the Christmas rose, began its show in the second half of February 2012 and all of March. In most years, it opens around mid-March—so I’d say in February we were almost a month advanced.

Around the same time, snowdrops (Galanthus, Feb. 15 start), always the first bulb to open for me, and quick on their heels the winter aconite (Eranthis hyemalis, Feb. 23 start) did their thing. In a “normal” year, the winter aconites would just be peaking now—but they’re all long gone.

the march report

IN MID-MARCH the few Crocus I have got going, as did super-fragrant, purple-flowered Daphne mezereum, above. By then, all my honeysuckles, or Lonicera, were already leafed out, which seemed to me to be a very daring act of faith on their parts.

Moths (including the one I held to snap a shot of, below, on March 13) and mosquitoes were in full force; the ticks have never stopped all “winter.” I’ve had two bites and picked off many others not yet embedded in the last two weeks.

My typically early April “Forsythia alternatives” were at it two or three weeks early:

The native spicebush, Lindera benzoin (top photo with house seen through its flowers), a great wildlife plant, joined in, too.

And yes, the local crop of Forsythia was also going strong, and still is, for those who like a less-subtle start to spring’s super-gleaming golden days that lie just ahead–or at least I think that’s what’s coming next.

Joining the picture was Spiraea thunbergii ‘Ogon’—a gold-leaf shrub with tiny white flowers that usually starts the April goings-on here but just couldn’t wait.

The magnolia called ‘Elizabeth’ started opening a week ago; bad timing. (She’s supposed to be yellow, as above on Monday, but by Tuesday morning was orange, below, and then brown, as the frozen flowers melted and then oxidized.) I will be sad not to see any of my magnolias’ cucumber-like seedpods come fall as a result.

I was also disappointed that the orientalis hybrid hellebores (like the bicolor one below) were starting to expand when a mid-March heatwave began, because their usually long and delightful show has been on fast-forward. By the 29th, I noted they’d peaked already—typically when they would just be getting started.

April’s classic bulb, theNarcissus, was also well into its display, and so was Pulmonaria rubra, below, a little red-flowered groundcover I’m particularly partial to—and that some years even when there is a winter defies everything and starts super-early, anyhow. That’s about the only one I wasn’t really surprised to see so soon.

WHAT’S NEXT? I’d be happy for cooler, more seasonal weather to slow things down and perhaps even normalize the pace, but then again—I’m not in charge. Inconvenient, perhaps, but true. By the end of March it looked like Viburnum carlesii planned to bloom any time now (what?!?!), as did the espaliered Asian pear on the back of the house. We shall see was all I could say.

Good news: It rained near the end of the month, something we haven’t seen in ages here, and so for now I’ll act like I would in any other late March: I’ll plant my peas today in the slightly moist soil, and some spinach, too. If the heavens aren’t enforcing any sense of normalcy, I guess I would, anyhow–or at least that tiniest bit, one seed at a time.

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comments

Yes, thanks for the documentation of what has been growing and blooming by month. In my garden (West/Central NJ) there do appear to be earlybirds (e.g. daylillies popping up) and things leafing out early, I think (Stewartia)? But my sweet smelling viburnum is also budded out and about bloom but my memory tells me that is right on schedule (late March.) Leatherleaf mahonia finished with its sweet yellow flowers. And my magnolia no where near blooming.

My dad has a small-ish (11 acres) tree nursery and it’s been a difficult spring for him because many of the trees broke bud in the heat, which mostly means it’s too late to dig. So he and all the other nurseries have been rushing to get it done, but it will be a small dig this year. Such is nature I suppose.

I did cover shrubs which had started growing, especially my different hydrangeas. However, the new growth has broken down anyway. I just hope the blooms this summer will still be there. Now it’s supposed to flurry overnight. Crazy.

Chicago is experiencing the same craziness–but the urban heat island protected the magnolias from the temperature swings–so far! 80 predicted here again for later in the weekend, which means it should reach upstate NY a day or so later…yikes.

Here in northern Michigan along the lakeshore south of Traverse City, my coneflowers, and hydrangeas are going strong which is unheard of in this region. Unfortunately so are the brown dog ticks. Normally we don’t start the Frontline meds until June butnhadntonstart both heart worm and tick and flea meds last week. Beware if you have animals in woody areas.

We’ve been lucky here in the Rocky Mtns of SW Colorado in that we had a cold enough winter to do away with the bugs for the season, but we didn’t get much snow so there is already worry about drought. It’s hard to figure out what we’d “like” to happen… now that spring weather is here and the plants are moving along we don’t want cold weather to abort their reproduction, but we need the moisture. I guess we just hope for rain then? Interesting times to be sure. Thank you for sharing the lovely photos and another, interesting angle on this odd year.

Not sure how to manage my plant life wth this crazy weather either. 27 degree night midweek last week–first robin spotted on Feb 26…Mizuna and mibuna going to seed-lots of beneficials flying around the flowers (very exciting)-but strange-use to having snow at this time. I am keeping my Reemay close by for the surprise cold temp. Wonder what next winter will be like?

have tree peony that got semi-zapped that chilly night even tho
I covered her……..here in rochester ny all daffodils are spent and
the flowering pears are about to burst and our famous lilacs will
be early and most likely be gone by the Lilac Festival……
???global warming??? does make gardening interesting.

I love the pulmonaria rubra for early bloom. I divided mine last spring and the new place I put the division is making it show dark green leaves and vivid blue flowers, whereas the plant remaining in the original spot is soft green with pink flowers. Do you know if soil acidity is affecting this? Haven’t had much luck finding info…

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Welcome! I’m Margaret Roach, a leading garden writer for 25 years—at ‘Martha Stewart Living,’ ‘Newsday,’ and in three books. I host a public-radio podcast; I also lecture, plus hold tours at my 2.3-acre Hudson Valley (NY) Zone 5B garden, and always say no to chemicals and yes to great plants.